Bmw 540i 1997

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Passenger side front seatbelt locks in the side panel and wont extend to allow passengers to get buckled up. It doesn't happen all the time but it happens.

Incident #1 2010: accelerated the vehicle to 75mph to enter freeway. Took foot off gas and vehicle continued to accelerate. Engaged clutch to stop acceleration and rpm continued to rise to the limiter point (approx 5500 rpm). Pulled over, started car and engine immediately went to the red line. On inspection, a plastic part on an accelerator cable had cracked, causing the accelerator to lock in the fully open position. If the clutch had not been engaged (i.E. If this car had an automatic transmission), this could have resulted in a collision and possible injuries or fatalities. Incident #2 12/2/2012. Started car and pulled away from curb. At about 3-5 mph the steering wheel locked. Stopped car, turned off ignition and started it again. The wheel unlocked but there was an audible clicking sound within the steering column. Carefully drove about one mile to house and turned off engine. Steering wheel locked again and car could not be started. The wheel locking while the car was being driven was a condition that could have resulted in a collision and possible injuries or fatalities. *tr

When cruise control is activated, the vehicle accelerates rapidly in out-of-control manner. Sometimes it also decelerates rapidly, and lurches. *tr

Whenever my cruise control is set, vehicle consistently overcompensates in speed fluctuations. It is almost as if the accelerator peddle gets stuck all the way down. This causes the vehicle to go from hwy speeds to extremely dangerous 80+mph speeds in a matter of a few seconds. Cruise control must then be disengaged. I have owned this particular car for over a year and it has always done this. Cruise control is not safe to use at any time. Several times, it has nearly made me have a rear end collision because it will take off with no warning. *tr

The radiator neck broke off while driving at highway speed on my 1997 540i. It is a common problem with bmw by all accounts, owners, technicians and even my own previously experienced it with an 1988 735i. Plastic parts on the radiator is unacceptable, dangerous and costly. This has been a problem for more than 10 years on these expensive luxury vehicles with no resolution by bmw.*ak

1997 bmw 540i fuse to the fuel injector blew out.***no answer required*** *mr the vehicle would all of a sudden die when in motion due to the blown fuse(s) to the injector. The thermostat temperature sensor had an internal short which caused the wire to melt and blew the fuse. The sunroof was inoperative due to the rail lift pieces being broken. *sc the wiper blades were not cleaning the windows properly. *jb

(1) replaced water pump and accessory belts. On a forum that i read, many suggest replacing the radiator when replacing the water pump, as preventive maintenance due to the radiator's high and frequent failure. Replace the radiator as preventive maintenance?!? I would rather not. A radiator is not an oil or air filter. (2) upper neck on the radiator broke and released more than a gallon of coolant, in less than 50 feet, in the form of liquid and steam. The steam obscured vision on the drivers side of the vehicle. Luckily i was making a right-hand turn into a parking lot. (3) no repair as of yet. The failure of the radiator occurred at approximately 11:00 am. I made it home at 12:05 p.M. I called the local bmw parts department (one hour and thirty minutes away) to arrange to pay for the radiator by credit card and then have the part left with one of the salespersons, because the parts department closes at 1:00 p.M. But they no longer accept credit card purchases over the phone from in-state customers, even after practically begging. Very poor practice unless they want to loose customers. Actually immediately after i submit this i will go on-line and try to find an after-market radiator. Probably of better quality anyway. Sad but true. I encourage the release of the information contained in this questionnaire to the manufacturer of my vehicle.*ak

While driving on the freeway, the electronic coolant thermostat shorted out and caused engine wiring harness the burn up. This caused the enigine to stop running. Luckily, burning was restricted to wires and no other components were burnt. Car is still waiting for a new wiring harness at the bmw dealer ($2000 est for repair). I have heard of similar occurances with this model car and with 740i of about the same year. This seems to be a dangerous situation and should be prevented by a fuse or fusable link.*ak

Dealership was unable to perform the front spring strut recall 04v183000 repairs within a reasonable time. The consumer contacted customer service and received an insufficient reply. *ak *sc *jb